Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-10-23
CHicanO IEttr OcsGn.

Tender Mccarthy apprehensive Of its safe
ty, and he determined to make an
examination of the piling and super
stsucture of the approach that night.
WHEN THE RIVER TRAFFIC
began to lessen on Wednesday night Mr..
Mccarthy, lantern in hand, descended the
steps leading from his little hut into the
lot made vacant by the removal of the
house mentioned. Under the approach the
earth had been thrown up in banks to the
rafters supporting the the treadway. Get
ting down on all tours, with the lantern
suspended from his teeth, the bridge-tender
began to crawl in under the roadway.
There was hardly rom for Mr.. Mccarthy.
well-proportioned body to find entrance.
On he crawled, the space becoming so con
tracted that that there was no longer room
for the lantern TO swing, compelling the
explorer to shove it along ahead of him.
Suddenly he halted. For moment he
lay motiOnless. His respiration became
labored, and his bosom heaved under some
great excitement. His eyes bulged ont OF
their sockets as mis- sight fell upon the fig
ure of human being, sitting bolt upright,
amid strangely odd surroundings away of
NEAR THE WATERS EDGE.
Mr.. Mccarthy, under ordinary circum.
stances, is a man in whose lexicon no such
word IA fear exists He is IA brave "a q
lion, and his cool Judgment and excellent
presence of mind have averted many o dis,
aster. But to say that he was slightly
taken aback Mt the spectacle before him,
would he to tell the truth, and to add that
Mr. McCarthy's retreat was more tapid
than his entrance, even though the disad.
vantage of crawling out feet formost had "a
he overcome, would he equally truthful.
"No." said Mr.. McCharthy TO a reporter
for the Inter Ocean last night, 81 won't dis
turb the old fellow. haven't got much
sleep rs result of my exploration Wed
nesday night, hut it was /, not he, that
proved to be the intruder. The old man
doesn't say much, but his eyes plead &c
hard not to be molested, and he appears 20
thoroughly content there, that / haven't
the heart to interfere.
Jim" continued Mr.. Mccarthy, nd
dressing one Of his assistants, Eight the
lantern and We'll introduce the the report
er to our lOdger"
TIE TENDER TOOK THE LANTERN
and the lead, elm" followed and the re,
porter brought MP the rear. It was neal
midnight. and once down the stairs to the
open lot, the expedition started in under
the approach in the same order in which il
had left the hut All three lay down flat
on the ground, locomotion being attained
very much after the fashion of swimming.
Progress was very slow. Now and then an
unusually high mound of earth, thrown mp
to within eight or ten inches of the walk
way, had to he overcome, and the three
were obliged to twist and distort Themselves
into all shapes aud conditions to get
through. Finally Mr.. Mccarthy moved
his lamp from side to side as signal ia
halt. All three lay still as death. Ahead
of them the heavy breathing Of some ami
mate object was plainly TO he heard.
"That's the hermit" painted Mac.
"All right" rejoiued the reporter, forge
ahead and let us get a good glimpse OF
him."
In obedience to the request six hands
and feet again started in motion and OF
the little party crawled. Another minute
or two and the mouth of the hernits quar-
tiers, small aperture between two up
right piles vas reached. But for the breath
ing of the party, the scamperiDg here and
there of dock rat,
THE SPLASH OF THE WATER
against the ground work of the bridge q
few yards beyond, sepulchre silence, Op'
pressive in the extreme, resigned, The
bridge-tender, pushing the lantern into
opening, and rolling over on the earth,
made room for the reporter.
The sight that met the latter's eyes when
they peered inside the inclosure will never
be forgotten. The compartment, or rather
hole, was oval in shape, about twelve feet
long aud three feet high. On either side
the earth had been banked up solidly until
it met the cross-ties above, sloping inward
and meeting at both extremes Of the place.
Layer upon layer of old newspapers, can
vass and rags covered the sides Of the
strange abode. On row of spikes from a
ioist above were suspended a variety OF
wearing apparel. Stockings, socks, bits OF
cotton wear and silk, the sleeve Of coat,
the leg of pair of pantaloons, dozen or
more hats of all styles. all old. battered,
and worn, satin, cotton, and wooden muf-
fiers, reeking in filth.
Under the rays of the lantern, huddled
in heap up in the extreme left-hand
corner, lay the monomaniac 10 solitude.
Recumbent upon half of an. old bed-tick,
spread out upon a plentiful supply Of
straw and hay, with his head completely
envSoped in the folds of lady's plush
cloak, and his neither extremities covered
by a shelter of canvas, made up Of strips
and sewed together, slept being cut of.
voluntarily, frem all communication and
intercourse with his fellow man.
FOR FULLY FIVE MINUTES
the reporter, crouched in bis uncomfort-
able position, lay wrapt up in eontem-
plation of the scene before him. Awaken
ing from his reverie, he exclaimed:
Wake up, old man, wake upw,
No response.
"Here, old man; wake up; want to
see your face and speak to you" again
cried the scribe, drawing one leg into the
opening, and, hot without certain misgiv-
ings, brushing il against the form OF the
hermit.
The body of the sleeping man gradually
heightened out, an uneasy and slow brush
ing aside Of the cloak which covered his
face and head and the hermit OF Harrison
street bridge sat up, with his back propped
up against the further end Of his bed. As
a rule, strange beings are found in strange
places, and the case in point proved no ex-
ception TO the rule.
He was clothed in pantaloons, vest and
shirt. His feet were covered by success
sion of socks and stockings, one pair drawn
I'D and over another. OF low stature, bis
his naturally ill-shapen physique was
heightened by an almost acute curvature